


Paralyzed

by FabuMazX



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-07 00:55:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11047926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FabuMazX/pseuds/FabuMazX
Summary: He trailed off as his gaze locked onto Jack’s hands where they gripped onto the bathtub with such tension that his knuckles had paled to a deathly white. His eyes travelled up trembling arms, up finger-shaped marks that disappeared under his grey t-shirt. Finding his friend’s face, Davey felt his heart pound as he locked gazes with two wide, bloodshot dark eyes.  It was like staring at a spooked animal. Something wasn’t right.





	Paralyzed

 

David Jacobs was almost certain that he hadn’t attended a party that he actually enjoyed since he was eight years old. At some undisclosed stage during your childhood, bags full of goodies turned into toilets filled with vomit, skipping in circles turned into grinding your crotch against some stranger, and nine times out of ten somebody either ended up storming out in tears or being dragged out with a black eye.   
So how he found himself in Race’s dorm room in yet another of his infamous ‘social gatherings’, surrounded by drunk college kids, was beyond him. Glancing at his watch, Davey groaned, inaudible against the pounding music, and pinched the bridge of his nose while blinking hard. 01:53am.   
“I’m going to kill him.” He grumbled, sinking back into the couch and wincing as he felt something wet seep through his shirt. 

“Who?”   
The couch bounced slightly as Crutchie dropped down beside him, settling his crutch against his leg, and Davey felt a wave of relief to see what could perhaps be the only other sober person in the entire flat. Granted that it wasn’t exactly by choice. The alcohol messed up with Crutchie’s pain-meds for his leg, but it never seemed to stop him from joining the fun- a trait Davey was becoming increasingly envious of with each ‘social gathering’.  
Swinging a practically untouched beer back and forth in his hand, Davey rolled his eyes at the blonde, “Jack- for forcing me into this and then running off and disappearing for three hours and not answering his phone when he knows I’m his only way home.”   
Crutchie raised an eyebrow in confusion, “His dorm’s only round the corner, Dave; I’m sure he can manage on his...”  
Seeing the disbelieving look Davey sent his way, Crutchie followed the taller boy’s lead in sinking into the worn out back of the couch, “Yeah maybe you should stick around...”  
Davey folded his arms, scowling at the wall and the occasional stumbling drunk that staggered by his vision, “I’ll leave him here.”  
“No you won’t.” Crutchie purred in a sing-song tone, tapping his crutch against the floor.  
Whining, Davey threw his head back against the couch, “I should! I should leave him here.”  
Crutchie chuckled in amusement, “But you won’t. And you know you won’t. And you know why you won’t. And I know why you won’t. And,”  
Apparently sensing the death-glare that Davey was sending his way, the blonde rolled his eyes with a broad grin, “If you’re so eager to get goin’, why don’t you just go find him?” he swung out his arms, “It’s a college dorm- he ain’t exactly gonna turn up on the moon or somethin’.”

Wincing, Davey twisted round to examine the crowd where the majority of the party had decided to flock. With a sigh and a petty “fiiine”, he reluctantly got to his feet and began manoeuvring his way through the mass.  
When he’d established a definite lack-of-Jack in the living area, he followed the sound of whoops and cheers into the kitchen. He’d like to say that it was the first time he’d seen Spot crouched in the small space above the cabinets and glaring out with a smug look on his face, but that would be a lie.   
Shouldering his way through and muttering apologies that he certainly didn’t mean, he managed to slip up beside Race where he was collecting cash from multiple kids grumbling about losing their bets.   
“Race!” Dave demanded, grabbing the blonde’s shoulder, “Have you seen Jack?” 

Race, for his part, was surprisingly not-totally-shit-faced. He staggered as he turned to face Davey, but his eyes were only slightly glazed and his words only merging together a little, “Jackie boy? Oooh, yeah, yeah- he just went through to the bathroom- said he had to throw up.”  
As Davey’s face grew concerned, Race patted him roughly on the shoulder, “But s’all good- Oscar went with him.”   
Davey stared at him, blinking owlishly, “Oscar? Oscar Delancey?”  
“Yep!”  
Davey frowned as he tried to push back a stab of hurt in his chest. There was no way he was going to get jealous at not being the one to take care of a vomiting Jack Kelly. He was not going to become that pitiful.  
Apparently mistaking his still concerned expression, Race gave him a lopsided shrug, “If you’re worried you’s can always go check on him.”  
Sighing, Davey nodded slowly, “Yeah, I probably should. And um...” he glanced to the cabinets again, “Is this a thing now or?”  
Race followed his gaze to where his boyfriend was still perched and grinned, “He says he likes to watch the peasants.” He stated as though it explained everything.   
Dave stared at him for a second, then shrugged and slipped by as he began heading towards the bathroom. He was getting far too used to this shit. 

It was quieter down the hall, with the majority of the party fading to a dull chatter behind him.   
The door to the bathroom was closed but not locked, and he could hear a retching noise and muttering from behind it.   
With a sigh, he gripped the handle and stepped in, “How’re you doin-“  
He stopped short, freezing.  
There were Jack and Oscar alright. Jack bent over the double with Oscar splayed over his back. The bathtub blocked Davey’s from seeing anything he didn’t want to, and they were both clothed at least from the waist up- but the situation was obvious enough.  
Oscar glowered at him furiously, unwrapping one thick arm from around Jack’s torso to swipe it in Dave’s general direction, “Get the fuck outta here, Jacobs!”

Feeling heat flood to his face, Davey lowered his eyes and began backing out, “Oh God, I’m so sorry, I...”  
He trailed off as his gaze locked onto Jack’s hands where they gripped onto the bathtub with such tension that his knuckles had paled to a deathly white. His eyes travelled up trembling arms, up finger-shaped marks that disappeared under his grey t-shirt. Finding his friend’s face, Davey felt his heart pound as he locked gazes with two wide, bloodshot dark eyes. It was like staring at a spooked animal. Something wasn’t right.   
Ceasing his retreat, he carefully took his hand away from the door and steeled his posture, keeping his gaze locked on Jack’s, “Everything okay, Jack?” he asked slowly.  
“I said fuck off, Jacobs!”  
Jack flinched at the raised voice, and Davey noticed Oscar’s grip around the smaller boy’s waist tighten possessively.   
Trying to keep the panic from his voice, Davey refused to let his attention be turned, “Party’s over now. Time to go home, Jack.”  
Apparently sensing that his moment was over, Oscar stood straight, and Davey noted with an indescribable relief that while his belt was undone, his jeans and boxers were still up, “You know what you little-“  
“Everythin’ okay in here?”  
Davey let out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding as Race’s familiar voice sounded behind him, laced with wariness and warning.   
Oscar glowered coldly at them, but Race didn’t give him the chance to speak, “You’s heard the man- party’s over. Delancey, get the fuck outta here.”  
Growling, Oscar shoved past Jack and stalked through the doorway, making a point to barge against Davey’s shoulder as he went.   
There was silence for a heartbeat before Race turned to Davey with a grim expression, “Get Jack home safe. Don’t leave him alone, ya hear me?”   
Nodding dumbly, Dave stared down the hall where Oscar had disappeared, “What about,”  
“I’ll deal with it.”

“You can go home, Dave. I’m fine.”  
Davey resisted the urge to scoff as he slipped the key to Jack’s dorm into the lock and swung it open, “Jack, I’m not going anywhere so you can get that idea out of your head right now.”   
Jack didn’t argue anymore as David lead him into the dorm, shut the door, and guided him through to the living area, easing him steadily onto the sofa. Davey wasn’t so sure that the silence was a good sign.  
“We gotta call the police.” He stated, heading towards the phone on the kitchen counter.  
Jack groaned behind him, “And say what? ‘a drunk guy roughed me about a little bit at a party- arrest him’?”  
“Jack this isn’t a joke! He-“  
“He didn’t do anything!”  
“He tried to ra-“  
Jack whipped around so fast that Davey was surprised he didn’t throw up there and then, “Don’t say it! Don’t you dare say it!”  
Davey stared at Jack, and took in the way Jack stared back; eyes wide with desperation and jaw stiff with tension. Like a cornered animal again. And Davey felt guilt eat away at him for putting that look on Jack’s face.   
Stepping away from the phone with a long exhale, he slowly trudged towards the sofa and sat down beside Jack, who watched him warily with every movement, “Okay. Okay...I won’t call them yet. But...Jack, you know what happened in that bathroom.”

When Jack stared back at him mutely, Davey winced and held out his hand, “You know you can trust me, Jack. I promise.”  
Jack blinked at him once, then slowly lowered his eyes to David’s hand. Slowly, painfully slowly, he slid his own, rough palm against Davey’s, tentatively entwining their fingers together.   
As the grip on his hand grew stronger, Davey watched as Jack’s gaze returned to his face and those round, dark eyes began to fill with tears. And as the man beside him began to tremble, David Jacobs watched Jack Kelly fall apart.   
A sob ripped itself from Jack’s throat, and without a thought Davey lurched forward and wrapped his free arm tightly around Jack’s shaking body, gripping his hand as tightly as tears of his own began to slip down his face.   
“It’s going to be okay.” He whispered repeatedly as Jack sobbed against his shirt, “He’s gonna pay- I’m not gonna let him hurt you again, okay? I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wow so this ended up longer than planned. To be honest, I totally made this up as I went along- there was no set ending in sight so I do apologise for how sloppy the end is. This also meant that the characters (Jack in particular) may seem very...well, ‘out’ of character.   
> I did my best to try to show how i feel they would react to this situation, and hopefully, had it been continued, we’d see them begin to exhibit more canon behaviour. 
> 
> The plan was for this to be pre-Javid but to end with a relationship, but there wasn’t any way to go from such a heavy subject to a sweet confession without it seeming wrong somehow. 
> 
> Well, either way, I hope you enjoyed this fic and I apologise 100% if anybody finds the content inappropriate or insensitive. It was most definitely not intended that way.  
> Thankyou! Kuddos and comments are greatly appreciated!


End file.
